The 4 Fs of Fast Weight Loss

Need to speed up your weight loss to meet an impossible deadline? You can choose "the 4 Fs of Fast Weight Loss." This choice is for someone who wants quick, dramatic results for a special occasion. The four Fs in the Four-F Plan stand for the four elements that Dr. Paul Rivas lists for his patients when they want to speed up weight loss in the short term. Dr. Rivas, who has specialized in obesity for over a decade and has successfully treated more than 15,000 patients, is the author of The Cheaters Diet. 1. Frequent Small Meals. Eat small amounts of food five or six times per day, which has the effect of keeping insulin levels relatively steady. Other diets recommend eating this way all of the time, but to be honest, trying to fit in time for six meals every day can be a pain in the neck. If you can get yourself to do it for a month or two, however, youll be pleased with the results. Heres a sample eating plan for one day: 8 a.m. Breakfast of two eggs, any style, cooked with canola or olive oil spray. Coffee or tea. 10 a.m. A small apple or citrus fruit. Noon. Tuna with lemon or fat-free mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Unsweetened applesauce. 2 p.m. Sixteen almonds, peanuts or walnuts. 4 p.m. One serving of nonfat yogurt. 6 p.m. Four to six ounces of salmon (broiled or fried in canola oil). A small pear and two vegetables. One serving of dessert. This schedule should help you maintain a feeling of fullness, keep your calorie intake low and stoke your metabolism. In fact, youll run like a high-octane metabolic machine. 2. Fluids. Most of us dont drink enough fluids, and that slows down weight loss. When the kidneys, whose job is removing waste from the bloodstream, dont get enough water, they dont function properly. Something has to pick up the slack, so that job goes to the liver. Among the livers normal functions is turning fat into a form that your body can use as fuel. When the liver is distracted by doing the job of the dehydrated kidneys, however, it cant devote as much effort to its own work, fuel manufacturing, so more fat remains unused. If you want to increase efficient weight loss, you need healthy, well-hydrated kidneys doing their own work efficiently. For best results, drink at least two quarts (eight cups) of fluid per day plus an extra cup for every 3.5 points your BMI exceeds 25. When I say fluids, I dont mean alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates you, and thats definitely not the effect you want. Recommended fluids:  Water or flavored waters (sugar-free). Water is water. You cant beat it.  Tea. Almost all teas are good, but green and black are best. Use sugar substitutes. Simmer bag for about five minutes and squeeze for maximal antioxidant effect.  Coffee. People have been trying to find something bad about coffee for decades, but, instead, researchers keep coming up with positives, and caffeine may actually stimulate faster weight loss. Use brewed or instant. You can add sugar substitutes and fat-free creamers.  Lemonade. Make your own with fresh-squeezed lemon and sweeteners.  Diet soda. Not great, but better than regular soda.  Soup. Very nourishing as well as filling, and also counts as a fluid. I recommend tomato, vegetable, lentil or chicken noodle. 3. Fish. For your three main meals every day, eat your protein first, and eat as much as you like. Eating protein makes you feel sated more quickly, so without even realizing it, youll find yourself reducing the number of calories you consume at meals. Fish, especially tuna, salmon, sardines and herring, is the best source of protein for good health, but chicken and turkey breast are acceptable options, as are pork loin, turkey sausage and turkey bacon. 4. Fiber. The best fibers are found in fruits and whole-grain cereals, and I prefer fruit as a source. I recommend at least one additional fruit serving at every meal, and more, if you prefer. The fruits highest in fiber are apples, pears, plums, cherries, strawberries and prunes. Beans are another good source, and they offer quality protein as well. Try chickpeas, kidney or green-bean salad sprinkled with some vinegar and olive oil. If you like, you can also use a fiber supplement. They come in three forms: powder, pills and chewable.